Cabinet still to decide on Guantanamo Bay detainees
Vote splits Maltese MEPs
Cabinet is yet to discuss Malta's position regarding the possibility of hosting detainees from Guantanamo Bay once the infamous prison is shut down.
Asked for Malta's position on the matter, a spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry said that Malta had yet to decide on its stance.
Earlier this week, the majority of members of the European Parliament voted for a resolution calling upon all EU member states to share the burden with the US and agree to host Guantanamo inmates after the camp's closure.
The vote split Malta's MEPs, with Labour representatives voting for the motion and the two Nationalists opposing part of it.
Nationalist MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa instead supported an amendment urging the US to "refrain from applying pressure on EU member states to take inmates against a member states, will".
The EP resolution was drawn up following the announcement by US President Barack Obama to close down the Guantanamo camp in a year's time. Over 240 individuals suspected of terrorism offences are held there.
The two sides had contrasting views on the resolution with the Nationalist MEPs accusing Labour of wanting to host possible terrorists in Malta.
The Labour MEPs insisted that the resolution had to be seen from a wider perspective.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman yesterday said that although voted upon and passed at European Parliament level, the issue still had to be discussed at the next EU General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting.
Before this meeting, Cabinet would discuss it and formulate Malta's position on the matter.
During a recent meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers, Malta welcomed the US decision to close Guantanamo but insisted that any move towards taking prisoners would have to be decided on a country-by-country basis.
The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp was opened by the US in its base in Cuba in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The opening of the facility proved to be one of most controversial decisions by the outgoing Bush administration, especially after repeated claims of torture and mistreatment of inmates emerged over the years.